PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Pats Posits: Things to Fix But Plenty to Like

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Most of Patriots Nation is gushing over Tom Brady this morning and rightly so, as he delivered another last-minute comeback, the 50th 4th quarter comeback of his career, with a pinpoint end zone pass to Brandin Cooks. The game against the Texans was one where the two teams were evenly matched and for many spoiled Patriots fans, that’s cause for concern.

But it’s important to remember this is only Week 3. It’s still September. And when you look around the rest of the NFL, with 15 teams owning the same 2-1 record as the Pats and just two undefeated teams remaining, it’s clear that everyone is still figuring it out. The “figuring it out” phase is always hard for fans. It’s a roller coaster of inconsistency as teams discover what they’re good at and where their weaknesses are.

So yes, the Patriots have some weaknesses, and the defensive performances especially are concerning, especially when you see they’re giving up twice the points-per-game that they did last year (15.6 vs. 31.7).

Let’s unpack all the leftover thoughts on what we’ve seen from the 2017 Pats, including where they must improve if they’re to start their annual mid-season climb to the top of the NFL rankings once again.

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Patriots Pull Out Win vs. Texans

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Tom Brady threw for 378 and five touchdowns, leading a last-minute comeback drive to dispatch the Houston Texans 36-33 in Foxboro on Sunday. It was a surprisingly close game with Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson escaping numerous tacklers and making multiple plays that gave Houston the late lead.

But Tom Brady is still Tom Brady, leading the 50th (!!!) fourth-quarter comeback of his career in victory. The Pats now move to 2-1 on the season and will face the Carolina Panthers next Sunday who are coming off a 34-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints.


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A Look Back: Patriots-Texans Rivalry

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4G9vij_cHo

While the Patriots-Texans rivalry hasn’t been much of a rivalry on the field, their games have actually featured some really significant developments that have had major impacts. Though the Patriots haven’t lost to the Texans since 2010’s season finale and own a 8-1 overall record, the Texans have exacted more than a pound of flesh in some of those victories.

The most notable is of course losing Wes Welker to a torn ACL in that only loss, which set the stage for the Pats to get embarrassed at home in the wild card round the next week against the Ravens. The Welker injury was everything the Pats could not afford to have happen, losing their third down engine in a meaningless game a week before the playoffs started. This thrust Julian Edelman into the spotlight against the Ravens, where he came through with six catches for 44 yards and two touchdowns, but it would be four more seasons before Edelman truly took over that role from Welker.

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Coffin Corner: Patriots-Texans 2042 – Scouting Report from the Future

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I’m writing you this exactly 25 years in the future on Sept 23, 2042. I know you’re thinking, “The year 2042 is only 25 years away!”  That’s what I thought back then when I first read this piece that I’d written 25 years later from the future. Mind-Plosions aside, I’m sending this into the past as a warning to Bob McNair, if you’re reading this, this is mostly a scouting report to let you know what your future will be if you continue down this path, like the future ghost from the Bill Murray classic Christmas tale, Scrooged.

And before we get to the game between the “Gillette-Samsung Razorblade TVs” Patriots and the “Houston’s Steak” Texans (not that it should be that surprising, but teams no longer represent states or localities, they represent corporate entities) let me catch you up on what’s been going on around the NFL over the last quarter-century.

The good news: here in 2042, there is NFL labor peace. After a 2-year players’ strike that devastated much of the NFL’s stranglehold on American viewers, DeMaurice Smith negotiated a 99-year CBA in exchange for mandatory foot massages for every player after every game. In order to get this necessary concession, Smith was forced to negotiate away the players’ medical benefits, salaries and helmets. MMQB Scribe Peter King called the historic agreement a “Win-Win”.

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Patriots Gameplan: Week 3 vs. Houston Texans

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Here come the Texans and all their former Patriots once again! Including the preseason this will be the third time in a year the two teams have met, so yeah this feels like a game in the division against a familiar foe.

Somehow the Texans are always rolling out a different quarterback surrounded by the same excellent pieces at wideout and on defense. And usually that’s the difference between these two teams. No matchup more clearly illustrates how hard it is to win in this league without a good player at the most important position.

Still, there’s always some trepidation when you’re going against a talented front like the Texans’, led by JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. If those guys play out of their mind and rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson plays a clean game, who knows, maybe the Texans can pull off the upset. But the Patriots are near-unbeatable at home and have already had a wake-up call stinker in their home opener. I expect the Pats to turn in one bad game in September, usually on the road. Two would be a big problem, especially if both of them were to come at home.

Here’s the gameplan for what the Pats have to do to get by some old friends once again and move above .500 for the first time this season ;)…

 

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Film Review: Patriots vs. Saints Offense Edition

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Finishing off the film reviews of the Saints game with this quick-hit look at the offense. This looked like the Patriots offense we’re used to. Keep the chains moving, sprinkle in some trickeration and big plays, and win the short yardage situations with their power back. Despite the absences of Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, the Patriots offense looked pretty much like we’ve come to expect.

As always, watching the All-22 really gives you a better sense of how teams defended the Patriots, but also allows you to take a closer look at things that were missed on initial glance. One big thing that stuck out to me is that I don’t think Tom Brady, Brandin Cooks and Josh McDaniels are quite on the same page yet. And I also think that Nate Solder isn’t quite playing the best football of his career.

More on those and everything else in the quick-hit Film Review…

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